


Duality or Balance

by FancyWords (orphan_account)



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Depression, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-18 22:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20199031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/FancyWords
Summary: Birdperson listens to Rick talk about his life and judges his character. He realizes that he isn't that different from Rick, but Rick doesn't realize.





	Duality or Balance

**Author's Note:**

> Made this after remembering Rick and Morty existed when I saw the new sneak peak. I planned to release it once the first season four episode came out, but I then realized that is in three-ish months.

Birdperson could never regret putting his trust in Rick, but he still can't tear his eyes from the leaking hole in Rick's heart.

Rick was laying on Birdperson's couch face down while he kicked the cushions. He fiddled with a little device that he observed from the corner of his eye. It clinked against itself as it rotated small sharp points around.

Rick shifted onto his back. He held the object with both hands. Birdperson silently observed the blue lights bouncing off the creation and onto the walls to create little dots.

Birdperson looked away to observe the television. Another commercial. Without anything to do, Birdperson stared.

Crack, crack. Birdperson didn't know how long he had been staring at the TV screen, but he was sucked in and must have droned out his surroundings. 

Birdperson glanced over at Rick. Rick looked away from Birdperson and continued to mess with his machine. Birdperson recognized what the device had become. A disco ball that can fly around using a simple propeller.

"What is it?" Birdperson drawled.

"What does it look like?" Rick grumbled.

"It resembles a disco ball, but it is combined with a part I've never seen before."

"A propeller, idiot."

"That doesn't make sense."

Rick looked up from his creation and glared. "It's simple physics. I attached the propeller to-"

"No," Birdperson answered simply. "You scolded me for not making an assumption. You always tell me to never expect something to be what I immediately think it to be. It could have been a decoration rather than a functioning flying device."

Rick rolled his eyes and went silent, but his blush was just evident enough. Birdperson almost felt bad, but he couldn't. Fishing for compliments is a hard skill to master, and lying anymore wouldn't help.

"Obviously assuming is needed to do things quicker," Rick added.

Not for a genius, Birdperson would have countered if he didn't care about their friendship.

"Just don't think about it," Rick murmured.

Birdperson nodded. Not thinking didn't get anyone anywhere. It was only a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

-

"Beth was being such a bitch!" Rick snarled as he drank from his flask.

"Why?" Birdperson asked. Well, it was obvious. Rick needed a screw and asked for Morty to get it even though Beth was closer. She may genuinely care for her children, but her desire for her father's attention comes first. An elder jealous of a youth taking their place. Typical on Earth.

"She is an attention whore." Rick grumbled. Birdperson could see the self aware tint in his eyes being pushed to the back.

"I can see why she is with Jerry. He would do anything for approval." Rick yelled as he shook his fist. Birdperson frowned at the strange behavior. Rick could change so quickly. It was relaxing to not have to deal with his sickened mind, though.

She probably just loved him. Jerry was happy and dumb. He didn't want to destroy someone's universe with telling them things were a certain way. Not to mention he actually knew what was going on. Rick just pushes it all to the back.

"Bullshit!" Rick yelled. Birdperson stayed silent as he chopped up his food on the counter. Rick was still on the couch. Fingers began to drum against the table next to the couch.

"What's wrong, Rick?"

"The universe. It's an animal that grazes on the ordinary-"

"The universe doesn't graze. The universe is not a creature or entity. It is a place. It's like giving emotions to a rock."

"Don't think about stupid shit like that. Birdperson, you're lucky."

Birdperson stayed silent, but he couldn't bare the wounded silence. "How so, Rick? Is it because I am not as intelligent as you?"

"Right! Fuck. Fuck! If only I was a bit stupider, I would be happy."

Birdperson cringed. He abandoned his food and went to comfort his hurt friend. "It's alright, Rick. You are not unhappy because of your intelligence. You are just more likely to be unhappy. It's your view."

Birdperson laid down on the couch and curled himself around the squirming body. "You do not trust anybody because you believe nothing matters besides control. Caring for someone and losing them means you lose control of your emotions and subsequently your storyline."

"You know that the universe is just a show, too?"

"You push others away, so you can't be hurt. You only fall for people when you use them over and over. Even though you treat Morty like an object, you begin to remember how it feels to be close to someone, and you change your mind. You decide your life matters and that love is worth it. You always get hurt in the end."

Rick was clinging to Birdperson. He likely wasn't even listening, but Birdperson was mostly doing this for himself.

"It isn't like that. You are one of an immeasurable amount of creatures, but you affect the lives of billions with a single action. There is no meaning to life, but there is no reason to not make a fake one. You see yourself as the best part of the universe or just another mass of atoms. You always choose to make a joke of meaning and hurt yourself. There is a balance. You-"

This was pointless. Rick was sobbing into Birdperson's chest. He already knew all of this. He picked to use others, and he most likely will continue to do so. He will also love.

"You'd at least be happy if you just did something boring. You do what you want, but you rarely get what you want because you can't do anything normal. Well, normal is relative, but..."

Birdperson cuddled against the warm body despite the smell of alcohol. He listened to the rambles about how much Rick loved his friends and family and hated the federation or council of Ricks. By the time he fell asleep, Rick had changed his mind.

-

Rick looked lost but determined. He didn't remember what happened, but he did know it wasn't what he wanted. He quickly left. Birdperson knew he wouldn't be back for a while or be smiling either. He would be back eventually, though, to complete the cycle of changing his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Please give honest reviews and criticism, thanks!


End file.
